Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-27
IA BREAK IN THEIR RANKS !
THE 1,5oo KNIGHTS AT READING
 REFUSE TO OBEY ORDERS.

inc society VIII nccciVo NO EAecOShASAOu
 in the Future-The Company Claims It
 Has Secured an Ample Force of Men.
 The Situation in Elizabeth.
 READING, Pa., Dec. 27-The Reading em- ployes in this city, numbering, in the aggre- gate, about 15, 900 men, have decided not to join the strike. Philadelphia and Reading officials here are of the opinion that the action of it's employees virtually kills the Knights of Labor as an organization. The. say they will never recognise them again. The employees along the main line outside of this city left their posts yesterday, and mat ters were rather complicated last night All through it is claimed that an ample force of men has been secured to man all the trains that are likely to be run out for the next few days There were few assertions of train hands reported north of Reading yesterday, but their places were promptly filled by non union men. Several telegraph operators quit work at Palo Alto on Sunday night, but other men were promptly sent there and took charge of the office. There was very little doing yesterday, and it will be several days before any definite informa- tion can be obtained. The fact that the Reading employees here refused to strike does not effect the main line employees as they are mostly employed in the shops and on the cross lines which run out of this city. Many prominent Knights regret the stand taken by the men here. They say it has virtually destroyed the organization, and that it will be impossible to recover from the effects of yesterdays deliberations. Others seem to think that it will strengthen it. They say the strike at Port Richmond was premature, and any persons who possess a spark of intel ligence cannot help but see it. It is a local difficulty, they say, and the entire distr.ct should not ha ve been dragged into it. Level headed men of the opinion that tn. trouble will be settled in few days.
 PHILADELPHIA, Dec. H.-Philadelphia and Reading officials here were much elated last night over the stand taken by their Reading employees, and seem to think it will have a wholesome effect on those employed else where. This, however, remains to be seen, and it will be several days before the reaI extent of the strike will be known.
 ELIZABETH, N. J., Dee. 27-There was practically no change yesterday in the situ- ation at the Elizabethport coal docks. The Central company was shipping coal, but the Reading and Lehigh Coal companies docks were deserted. The men are standing firmly by the position they took, although one oi them sad to reporter that the strike took them when they were short of money. The leaders of the Knights of Labor are reticent and apparently know nothing about what is being done at Philadelphia. All they say is that they are waiting for news and hope the trouble will not last long.
 A panic prevails among the business men and storekeepers, who fear a repetition of the hard times of last winter. There are now, including the coal handlers and Singer employees, over ?, 900 idle men walking abou, the streets of Elizabeth. At the end of this week, if the strike continues, business vii be practically at standstill Coal ha, jumped up fifty ce ts ton since Saturday.